Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands; Proposed 2004 Harvest Specifications for Groundfish

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

[Federal Register: December 3, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 232)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 67642-67655]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03de03-22]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 031124287-3287-01; I.D. 111703C]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea
and Aleutian Islands; Proposed 2004 Harvest Specifications for
Groundfish

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Proposed 2004 harvest specifications for groundfish;
apportionment of Reserves; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS proposes 2004 harvest specifications and prohibited
species catch (PSC) allowances for the groundfish fishery of the Bering
Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is
necessary to establish harvest limits for groundfish during the 2004
fishing year and to accomplish the goals and objectives of the Fishery
Management Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands Area (FMP). The intended effect of this action is to
conserve and manage the groundfish resources in the BSAI.

DATES: Comments must be received by January 2, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to Sue Salveson, Assistant Regional
Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division, Alaska Region, National
Marine Fisheries Service, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668, Attn:
Lori Durall, or delivered to room 401 of the Federal Building, 709 West
9th Street, Juneau, AK. Comments also may be sent via facsimile (fax)
to 907-586-7557. Comments will not be accepted if submitted via e-mail
or Internet.
Copies of the draft Environmental Assessment/Initial Regulatory
Flexibility Analysis (EA/IRFA) prepared for this action are available
from NMFS (see ADDRESSES) and comments must be received by January 2,
2004. Copies of the final 2002 Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation
(SAFE) report, dated November 2002, are available from the North
Pacific Fishery Management Council, West 4th Avenue, Suite 306,
Anchorage, AK 99510-2252 (907-271-2809), or from its homepage at
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Furuness, 907-586-7228 or e-mail at
mary.furuness@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background for the 2004 Proposed Harvest Specifications

Groundfish fisheries in the BSAI are governed by Federal
regulations at 50 CFR part 679 that implement the FMP. The Council
prepared the FMP and NMFS approved it under the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act. General regulations governing
U.S. fisheries also appear at 50 CFR part 600.
The FMP and its implementing regulations require NMFS, after
consultation with the Council, to specify annually the total allowable
catch (TAC) for each target species and the ``other species'' category,
the sum of which must be within the optimum yield range of 1.4 million
to 2.0 million metric tons (mt) (see Sec. 679.20(a)(1)(i)).
Regulations at Sec. 679.20(c)(1) further require NMFS to solicit
public comment on proposed annual TACs and apportionments thereof, PSC
allowances and prohibited species quota (PSQ) reserves established by
Sec. 679.21, seasonal allowances of pollock TAC, including pollock
Community Development Quota (CDQ), and CDQ reserve amounts established
by Sec. 679.20(b)(1)(iii) and to publish proposed specifications in
the Federal Register. The proposed specifications set forth in Tables 1
through 13 of this action satisfy these requirements. For 2004, the
proposed sum of TACs is 1,998,443 mt.
Under Sec. 679.20(c)(3), NMFS will publish the final annual
specifications for 2004 after (1) considering comments received within
the comment period (see DATES), (2) consulting with the Council, which
will occur at its next meeting beginning the week of December 8, 2003,
and (3) considering new information presented in the EA and the final
2003 SAFE reports prepared for the 2004 groundfish fisheries.
With some exceptions, regulations at Sec. 679.20(c)(2)(ii) require
that one-fourth of each proposed initial TAC (ITAC) amount and
apportionment thereof, one-fourth of each CDQ reserve established under
Sec. 679.20(b)(1)(iii), and one-fourth of each proposed PSC allowance
established under Sec. 679.21, become available at 0001 hours, Alaska
local time (A.l.t.), January 1, on an interim basis and remain in
effect until superseded by the final specifications. Regulations at
Sec. 679.20(c)(2)(ii) (A) and (B) require that the proposed first
seasonal allowance of non-CDQ and CDQ pollock, Pacific cod and Atka
mackerel becomes available at 0001 hours, A.l.t., January 1 on an
interim basis and remains in effect until superseded by the final
specifications. Regulations at Sec. 679.20(c)(2)(ii) do not provide
for an interim specification for either the hook-and-line and pot gear
sablefish CDQ reserve or for sablefish managed under the Individual
Fishing Quota (IFQ) program. Interim TAC specifications and
apportionments thereof for the 2004 fishing year will be published in a
separate Federal Register notice.

Other Rules Affecting the 2004 Specifications

In October 2003, the Council discussed Aleutian Islands pollock
fishery management, but made no recommendation to close or open the
fishery in 2004. The Council set the proposed Aleutian Islands pollock
TAC at 2003 amounts, which is for incidental catch only. The Council
may consider apportionment of the TAC of several rockfish species in
the Aleutian Islands subarea among the Eastern, Central, and Western
Aleutian Districts and separating the shortraker and rougheye rockfish
TAC.
Amendment 77 to the FMP, approved by the Secretary of Commerce on
October 20, 2003, provides for apportioning the BSAI Pacific cod TAC
among hook-and-line and pot gears sector. Table 4 lists the proposed
2004 allocations and seasonal apportionments of the Pacific cod ITAC
based on regulations that would implement Amendment 77. For more

[[Page 67643]]

information on Amendment 77, see the proposed rule at 68 FR 49416,
August 18, 2003. A final rule implementing Amendment 77 was published
on December 1, 2003 68 FR 67056 and will be effective by January 1,
2004.

Proposed Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) and TAC Specifications

The proposed ABC levels are based on the best available biological
and socioeconomic information, including projected biomass trends,
information on assumed distribution of stock biomass, and revised
technical methods used to calculate stock biomass. In general, the
development of ABCs and overfishing levels (OFLs) involves
sophisticated statistical analyses of fish populations and is based on
a successive series of 6 levels, or tiers, of reliable information
available to fishery scientists.
The best information currently available is set forth in Appendix A
of the final SAFE report for the 2003 BSAI groundfish fisheries dated
November 2002 (see ADDRESSES). Information on the status of stocks will
be updated with the 2003 survey results and reconsidered by the Plan
Team in November 2003 for the 2003 SAFE reports. The final harvest
specifications will be based on the 2003 SAFE reports.
In October 2003, the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC),
Advisory Panel (AP), and Council reviewed the Plan Team's preliminary
recommendations to project 2003 biomass amounts, as identified in the
2002 SAFE, for the proposed 2004 ABC, OFL, and TAC amounts. The SSC
concurred with the Plan Team's recommendations, which estimates the
proposed ABCs and OFLs by using a projection of 2003 groundfish harvest
with the November 2002 SAFE report model projections of 2003 ABCs for
groundfish stocks managed at tiers 1-3. The Council adopted the OFL and
ABC amounts recommended by the SSC (Table 1). The Council also adopted
the AP's recommendation that the 2004 proposed TACs be set equal to the
2003 TACs, except for sablefish, Pacific ocean perch, and Atka
mackerel. Recognizing anticipated changes in the ABCs for these
species, the AP recommended and the Council adopted a decrease in the
TACs for sablefish, Pacific ocean perch, and Atka mackerel. The Council
adopted the AP's recommendation to use the 2003 PSC allowances for
2004. The Council will reconsider these amounts in December 2003, after
the Plan Team incorporates new status of stocks information into a
final SAFE report for the 2004 BSAI groundfish fishery. None of the
Council's TAC recommendations for 2004 exceed the recommended ABC for
any species category. Therefore, NMFS finds that the Council's
recommendations for proposed 2004 OFLs, ABCs, and TACs are consistent
with the best available information on the biological condition of the
groundfish stocks.
Table 1 lists the proposed 2004 OFL, ABC, and TAC amounts for
groundfish in the BSAI. The proposed apportionment of TAC amounts among
fisheries and seasons is discussed below.

Table 1.--Proposed 2004 Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC), Total Allowable Catch (TAC), Initial Tac (ITAC), CDQ
Reserve Allocation, and Overfishing Levels of Groundfish in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area (BSAI) \1\
[All amounts are in metric tons]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CDQ
Species and area Overfishing level ABC TAC ITAC \2\ reserve \3\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pollock: \4\
Bering Sea (BS) \2\............ 2,636,000 2,127,700 1,491,760 1,342,584 149,176
Aleutian Islands (AI) \2\...... 52,600 39,400 1,000 1,000 ...........
Bogoslof District.............. 45,300 4,070 50 50 ...........
Pacific cod: BSAI.................. 359,000 245,000 207,500 176,375 15,563
Sablefish: \5\
BS............................. 3,818 2,658 2,658 1,131 265
AI............................. 4,082 2,842 2,842 603 431
Atka mackerel:
BSAI........................... 104,100 61,600 59,111 50,244 4,433
Western AI..................... ....................... 22,479 19,990 16,992 1,499
Central AI..................... ....................... 28,708 28,708 24,402 2,153
Eastern AI/BS.................. ....................... 10,413 10,413 8,851 781
Yellowfin sole: BSAI............... 130,000 109,600 83,750 71,188 6,281
Rock sole: BSAI.................... 119,400 99,900 44,000 37,400 3,300
Greenland turbot:
BSAI........................... 16,755 6,900 4,000 3,400 300
BS............................. ....................... 4,600 2,680 2,278 201
AI............................. ....................... 2,300 1,320 1,122 99
Arrowtooth flounder: BSAI.......... 175,800 142,200 12,000 10,200 900
Flathead sole: BSAI................ 74,100 61,100 20,000 17,000 1,500
Other flatfish: \6\ BSAI........... 21,400 16,000 3,000 2,550 225
Alaska plaice: BSAI................ 166,300 138,200 10,000 8,500 750
Pacific ocean perch:
BSAI........................... 17,600 14,900 13,932 11,842 1,045
BS............................. ....................... 2,378 1,410 1,199 106
Western AI..................... ....................... 5,773 5,773 4,907 433
Central AI..................... ....................... 3,296 3,296 2,802 247
Eastern AI..................... ....................... 3,454 3,454 2,936 259
Northern rockfish:
BSAI........................... 9,468 7,101 ........... ........... ...........
BS............................. ....................... ........... 121 103 9
AI............................. ....................... ........... 5,879 4,997 441
Shortraker/rougheye:
BSAI........................... 1,289 967 ........... ........... ...........
BS............................. ....................... ........... 137 116 10

[[Page 67644]]

AI............................. ....................... ........... 830 706 62
Other rockfish: \7\................
BS............................. 1,280 960 960 816 72
AI............................. 846 634 634 539 48
Squid: BSAI........................ 2,620 1,970 1,970 1,675 ...........
Other species: \8\ BSAI............ 81,100 43,300 32,309 27,463 2,423
--------------------------
Total........................ 4,002,858 3,127,003 1,998,443 1,770,482 187,225
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ These amounts apply to the entire BSAI management area unless otherwise specified. With the exception of
pollock, and for the purpose of these specifications, the Bering Sea (BS) subarea includes the Bogoslof
District.
\2\ Except for pollock and the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to hook-and-line and pot gear, 15 percent
of each TAC is put into a reserve. The ITAC for each species is the remainder of the TAC after the subtraction
of these reserves. The Aleutian Islands (AI) subarea and the Bogoslof District are closed to directed fishing
for pollock. The amounts specified are for incidental catch amounts only, and are not apportioned by season,
sector or put into a reserve.
\3\ Except for pollock and the hook-and-line or pot gear allocation of sablefish, one half of the amount of the
TACs placed in reserve, or 7.5 percent of the TACs, is designated as a CDQ reserve for use by CDQ participants
(see Sec. Sec. 679.20(b)(1)(iii) and 679.31).
\4\ The American Fisheries Act (AFA), Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(1), requires that 10 percent of the annual
pollock TAC be allocated as a directed fishing allowance for the CDQ sector. NMFS then subtracts 3.5 percent
of the remainder as an incidental catch allowance for pollock, which is not apportioned by season or area. The
remainder of the TAC is further allocated by sector as follows: inshore--50 percent; catcher/processor--40
percent; and motherships--10 percent.
\5\ Regulations at Sec. 679.20(b)(1) do not provide for the establishment of an ITAC for the hook-and-line and
pot gear allocation for sablefish. The ITAC for sablefish reflected in Table 1 is for trawl gear only. Twenty
percent of the sablefish TAC allocated to hook-and-line gear or pot gear is reserved for use by CDQ
participants (see Sec. 679.20(b)(1)(iii)).
\6\ ``Other flatfish'' includes all flatfish species, except for Pacific halibut (a prohibited species),
flathead sole, Greenland turbot, rock sole, yellowfin sole, arrowtooth flounder and Alaska plaice.
\7\ ``Other rockfish'' includes all Sebastes and Sebastolobus species except for Pacific ocean perch, northern,
shortraker, and rougheye rockfish.
\8\ ``Other species'' includes sculpins, sharks, skates and octopus. Forage fish, as defined at Sec. 679.2,
are not included in the ``other species'' category.

Reserves and the Incidental Catch Allowance (ICA) for Pollock

Regulations at Sec. 679.20(b)(1)(i) require that 15 percent of the
TAC for each target species or species group, except for pollock and
the hook-and-line and pot gear allocation of sablefish, be placed in a
non-specified reserve. Regulations at Sec. 679.20(b)(1)(iii) require
that one half of each TAC amount placed in the non-specified reserve
(7.5 percent), with the exception of squid, be allocated to the
groundfish CDQ reserve and that 20 percent of the hook-and-line and pot
gear allocation of sablefish be allocated to the fixed gear sablefish
CDQ reserve. Regulations at Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A) specify how the
pollock TAC apportioned to the Bering Sea Subarea, after subtraction of
the 10 percent CDQ reserve under Sec. 679.31(a), will be allocated.
With the exception of the hook-and-line and pot gear sablefish CDQ
reserve, the CDQ reserves are not further apportioned by gear.
Regulations at Sec. 679.21(e)(1)(i) also require that 7.5 percent of
each PSC limit, with the exception of herring, be withheld as a PSQ
reserve for the CDQ fisheries. Regulations governing the management of
the CDQ and PSQ reserves are set forth at Sec. Sec. 679.30 and 679.31.
Under Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(1), NMFS allocates a pollock ICA of
3.5 percent of the pollock TAC after subtraction of the 10 percent CDQ
reserve. This allowance is based on an examination of the incidental
catch of pollock in non-pollock target fisheries from 1998 through
2003. During this 6-year period, the incidental catch of pollock ranged
from a low of 2 percent in 2003, to a high of 5 percent in 1999, with a
6-year average of 3 percent. Because these incidental percentages are
contingent on the relative amounts of other groundfish TACs, NMFS will
be better able to assess the ICA amount when the Council makes final
ABC and TAC amount recommendations in December.
The remainder of the non-specified reserve is not designated by
species or species group, and any amount of the reserve may be
reapportioned to a target species or the ``other species'' category
during the year, providing that such reapportionments do not result in
overfishing, see Sec. 679.20(b)(1)(ii).

Pollock Allocations Under the American Fisheries Act (AFA)

Regulations at Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(1) require that 10 percent
of the BSAI pollock TAC be allocated as a directed fishing allowance to
the CDQ program. The remainder of the BSAI pollock TAC, after the
subtraction of an allowance for the incidental catch of pollock by
vessels, including CDQ vessels, harvesting other groundfish species, is
allocated as follows: 50 percent to catcher vessels harvesting pollock
for processing by the inshore component, 40 percent to catcher/
processors and catcher vessels harvesting pollock for processing by
catcher/processors in the offshore component, and 10 percent to catcher
vessels harvesting pollock for processing by motherships in the
offshore component. These proposed amounts are listed in Table 2.
The AFA also contains several specific requirements concerning
pollock and pollock allocations under Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4).
First, 8.5 percent of the pollock allocated to the offshore AFA
catcher/processor sector will be available for harvest by AFA catcher
vessels with offshore sector endorsements, unless the Regional
Administrator receives a cooperative contract that provides for the
distribution of harvest between catcher/processors and catcher vessels
in a manner agreed to by all members. Second, AFA catcher/processors
not listed in the AFA are limited to harvesting not more than 0.5
percent of the pollock allocated to the catcher/processor sector. Table
2 lists the proposed 2004 allocations of pollock TAC as prescribed by
the AFA. Other provisions of the AFA, including

[[Page 67645]]

inshore pollock cooperative allocations and listed catcher/processor
and catcher vessel harvesting sideboard limits, are found in Tables 8
through 13.
Table 2 also lists seasonal apportionments of pollock and harvest
limits within the Steller Sea Lion Conservation Area (SCA). The harvest
within the SCA, as defined at Sec. 679.22(a)(7)(vii), is limited to 28
percent of the annual directed fishing allowance (DFA) until April 1.
The remaining 12 percent of the annual DFA allocated to the A season
may be taken outside of the SCA before April 1 or inside the SCA after
April 1. If the 28 percent of the annual DFA is not taken inside the
SCA before April 1, the remainder is available to be taken inside the
SCA after April 1. The A season pollock SCA harvest limit will be
apportioned to each industry sector in proportion to each sector's
allocated percentage of the DFA as set forth in the AFA. These proposed
amounts, by sector, are listed in Table 2.

Table 2.--Proposed 2004 Allocations of the Pollock TAC and Directed Fishing Allowance (DFA) to the Inshore,
Catcher/Processor, Mothership, and CDQ Components\1\
[All amounts are in metric tons]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A season\1\ B season\1\
--------------------------------------
Area and sector 2004 A season B season
allocations DFA (40% of SCA harvest DFA (60% of
annual DFA) limit \2\ annual DFA)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bering Sea subarea.......................................... 1,491,760 ........... ........... ...........
CDQ..................................................... 149,176 59,670 41,769 89,506
ICA\1\.................................................. 46,990 ........... ........... ...........
AFA Inshore............................................. 647,797 259,119 181,383 388,678
AFA Catcher/Processors \4\.............................. 518,237 207,295 145,106 310,942
Catch by C/Ps....................................... 474,187 189,675 ........... 284,512
Catch by CVs \4\.................................... 44,050 17,620 ........... 26,430
Unlisted C/P Limit \5\.......................... 2,591 1,036 ........... 1,555
AFA Motherships......................................... 129,559 51,824 36,277 77,736
Excessive Harvesting Limit \6\.......................... 226,729 ........... ........... ...........
Excessive Processing Limit \7\.......................... 388,678 ........... ........... ...........
Total Bering Sea DFA........................................ 1,491,760 577,908 404,535 866,862
Aleutian Islands ICA\8\..................................... 1,000 ........... ........... ...........
Bogoslof District ICA\8\.................................... 50 ........... ........... ...........
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Under Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A), after subtraction for the CDQ reserve--10 percent and the ICA--3.5 percent,
the pollock TAC is allocated as a DFA as follows: inshore component--50 percent, catcher/processor component--
40 percent, and mothership component--10 percent. The A season, January 20-June 10, is allocated 40 percent of
the DFA and the B season, June 10-November 1 is allocated 60 percent of the DFA.
\2\ No more than 28 percent of each sector's annual DFA may be taken from the SCA before April 1. The remaining
12 percent of the annual DFA allocated to the A season may be taken outside of SCA before April 1 or inside
the SCA after April 1. If 28 percent of the annual DFA is not taken inside the SCA before April 1, the
remainder is available to be taken inside the SCA after April 1.
\4\ Under Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4), not less than 8.5 percent of the DFA allocated to listed catcher/
processors (C/Ps) shall be available for harvest only by eligible catcher vessels (CVs) delivering to listed
catcher/processors.
\5\ Under Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4)(iii), the AFA unlisted catcher/processors are limited from exceeding a
harvest amount of 0.5 percent of the DFA allocated to the AFA catcher/processors sector.
\6\ Regulations at Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(6) require that NMFS establish an excessive harvesting share limit
equal to 17.5 percent of the sum of the pollock DFAs.
\7\ Regulations at Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(7) require that NMFS establish an excessive processing share limit
equal to 30.0 percent of the sum of the pollock DFAs.
\8\ The Aleutian Islands subarea and the Bogoslof District are closed by the proposed specifications to directed
fishing for pollock. The amounts specified are for incidental catch amounts only, and are not apportioned by
season or sector.

Allocation of the Atka Mackerel TAC

Under Sec. 679.20(a)(8)(i), up to 2 percent of the Eastern
Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea Atka mackerel ITAC may be
allocated to the jig gear fleet. The amount of this allocation is
determined annually by the Council based on several criteria, including
the anticipated harvest capacity of the jig gear fleet. The Council
recommended and NMFS proposes that 1 percent of the Atka mackerel ITAC
in the Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea be
allocated to the jig gear fleet in 2004. Based on an ITAC of 8,851 mt,
the jig gear allocation is 89 mt.
Regulations implementing Steller sea lion protection measures at
Sec. 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(A) apportion the Atka mackerel ITAC into two
equal seasonal allowances. After subtraction of the jig gear
allocation, the first allowance is made available for directed fishing
from January 1 to April 15 (A season), and the second seasonal
allowance is made available from September 1 to November 1 (B
season)(Table 3).
Under Sec. 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(C)(1), the Regional Administrator will
establish a harvest limit area (HLA) limit of no more than 60 percent
of the seasonal TAC for the Western and Central Aleutian Districts. A
lottery system is used for the HLA Atka mackerel directed fisheries to
reduce the amount of daily catch in the HLA by about half and to
disperse the fishery over two areas, see Sec. 679.20(a)(8)(iii).

[[Page 67646]]

Table 3.--Proposed 2004 Seasonal and Spatial Allowances, Gear Shares, and CDQ Reserve of the BSAI ATKA Mackerel
TAC\1\
[All amounts are in metric tons]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seasonal allowances \2\
-------------------------------------------
CDQ A season \3\ B season \3\
Subarea and component TAC reserve ITAC -------------------------------------------
HLA limit HLA limit
Total \4\ Total \4\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Western Aleutian District.......... 19,990 1,499 16,992 8,496 5,097 8,496 5,097
Central Aleutian District.......... 28,708 2,153 24,402 12,201 7,321 12,201 7,321
Eastern AI/BS subarea\5\........... 10,413 781 8,851 ......... ......... ......... .........
Jig (1%) \6\................... ......... ......... 89 ......... ......... ......... .........
Other gear (99%)............... ......... ......... 8,763 4,381 ......... 4,381 .........
------------
Total.................... 59,111 4,433 50,244 25,078 ......... 25,078 .........
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Regulations at Sec. Sec. 679.20(a)(8)(ii) and 679.22(a) establish temporal and spatial limitations for
the Atka mackerel fishery.
\2\ The seasonal allowances of Atka mackerel are 50 percent in the A season and 50 percent in the B season.
\3\ The A season is January 1 to April 15 and the B season is September 1 to November 1.
\4\ Harvest Limit Area (HLA) limit refers to the amount of each seasonal allowance that is available for fishing
inside the HLA (see Sec. 679.2). In 2004, 60 percent of each seasonal allowance is available for fishing
inside the HLA in the Western and Central Aleutian Districts.
\5\ Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea.
\6\ Regulations at Sec. 679.20(a)(8)(i) require that up to 2 percent of the Eastern AIeutian District and the
Bering Sea subarea ITAC be allocated to the jig gear fleet. The proposed amount of this allocation is 1
percent. The jig gear allocation is not apportioned by season.

Allocation of the Pacific Cod TAC

Under Sec. 679.20(a)(7)(i)(A), 2 percent of the Pacific cod ITAC
is allocated to vessels using jig gear, 51 percent to vessels using
hook-and-line or pot gear, and 47 percent to vessels using trawl gear.
Under regulations at Sec. 679.20(a)(7)(i)(B), the portion of the
Pacific cod TAC allocated to trawl gear is further allocated 50 percent
to catcher vessels and 50 percent to catcher/processors. Under
regulations at Sec. 679.20(a)(7)(i)(C)(1), a portion of the Pacific
cod allocated to hook-and-line or pot gear is set aside as an ICA of
Pacific cod in directed fisheries for groundfish using these gear
types. Based on anticipated incidental catch in these fisheries, NMFS
proposes an ICA of 500 mt. The remainder of Pacific cod is further
allocated to vessels using hook-and-line or pot gear as the following
DFAs: 80 percent to hook-and-line catcher/processors, 0.3 percent to
hook-and-line catcher vessels, 18.3 percent to pot gear vessels, and
1.4 percent to catcher vessels under 60 feet (18.3 m) length overall
(LOA) using hook-and-line or pot gear. The final rule implementing
Amendment 77 will split the pot gear sector share of the DFA: 3.3
percent to pot catcher/processors and 15 percent to pot catcher
vessels. A final rule implementing Amendment 77 was published on
December 1, 2003 68 FR 67086 and will be effective by January 1, 2004.
Due to concerns about the potential impact of the Pacific cod
fishery on Steller sea lions and their critical habitat, the Pacific
cod fisheries are dispersed by the apportionment of the ITAC into
seasonal allowances (see Sec. Sec. 679.20(a)(7)(iii) and
679.23(e)(5)). For most non-trawl gear the first seasonal allowance, 60
percent of the ITAC, is made available for directed fishing from
January 1 to June 10, and the second seasonal allowance, 40 percent of
the ITAC, is made available from June 10 to December 31. The
regulations implementing Amendment 77 will establish three seasonal
allowances for jig gear: the first seasonal allowance, 40 percent of
the ITAC, is January 1 to April 30; the second seasonal allowance, 20
percent of the ITAC, is April 1 to August 31; and the third seasonal
allowance, 40 percent of the ITAC, is August 31 to December 31.
Amendment 77 will also allow the reallocation of any projected unused
portion of a seasonal allowance of Pacific cod for vessels using jig
gear to catcher vessels less than 60 ft (18.3 m) LOA using hook-and-
line or pot gear. No seasonal harvest constraints are imposed on the
Pacific cod fishery prosecuted by catcher vessels less than 60 feet
(18.3 m) LOA using hook-and-line or pot gear. For trawl gear, the first
season is January 20 to April 1 and is allocated 60 percent of the
ITAC; the second season, April 1 to June 10, and the third season, June
10 to November 1, are each allocated 20 percent of the ITAC. The trawl
catcher vessel allocation is further allocated as 70 percent in the
first season, 10 percent in the second season and 20 percent in the
third season. The trawl catcher/processor allocation is allocated 50
percent in the first season, 30 percent in the second season, and 20
percent in the third season. Table 4 lists the proposed 2004
allocations and seasonal apportionments of the Pacific cod ITAC. NMFS
and the Council propose that any unused portion of a seasonal Pacific
cod allowance will become available at the beginning of the next
seasonal allowance.

Table 4.--Proposed 2004 Gear Shares and Seasonal Allowances of the BSAI Pacific Cod TAC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Share of Share of Seasonal apportionment \1\
sector Subtotal gear ------------------------------------------------------------
Gear sector Percent gear percentages sector
total for gear total Date Amount
(mt) sectors (mt) (mt)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total hook-and-line and pot gear allocation 51 89,951 ........... ......... .........
of Pacific cod TAC.
Incidental Catch Allowance............... ......... ......... ........... 500 .........
Processor and Vessel sub-total........... ......... 89,451 ........... ......... .........

[[Page 67647]]

Hook-and-line Catcher/Processors......... ......... ......... 80 71,561 Jan 1-Jun 10.................................... 42,937
......... ......... ........... ......... Jun 10-Dec 31................................... 28,624
Hook-and-Line Catcher Vessels............ ......... ......... 0.3 268 Jan 1-Jun 10.................................... 161
......... ......... ........... ......... Jun 10-Dec 31................................... 107
Pot Catcher/Processors................... ......... ......... 3.3 2,952 Jan 1-Jun 10.................................... 1,771
......... ......... ........... ......... Sept 1-Dec 31................................... 1,181
Pot Catcher Vessels...................... ......... ......... 15 13,418 Jan 1-Jun 10.................................... 8,051
......... ......... ........... ......... Sept 1-Dec 31................................... 5,367
Catcher Vessels <60 feet LOA using Hook- ......... ......... 1.4 1,252 .........
and-line or Pot gear.
Trawl Gear Total............................. 47 82,896 ........... ......... .........
Trawl Catcher Vessel..................... ......... ......... 50 41,448 Jan 20-Apr 1.................................... 29,014
......... ......... ........... ......... Apr 1-Jun 10.................................... 4,145
......... ......... ........... ......... Jun 10-Nov 1.................................... 8,290
Trawl Catcher/Processor.................. ......... ......... 50 41,448 Jan 20-Apr 1.................................... 20,724
......... ......... ........... ......... Apr 1-Jun 10.................................... 12,434
......... ......... ........... ......... Jun 10-Nov 1.................................... 8,290
Jig.......................................... 2 3,528 ........... ......... Jan 1-Apr 1..................................... 1,411
......... ......... ........... ......... Apr 1-Aug 31.................................... 706
......... ......... ........... ......... Aug 31-Dec 31................................... 1,411
----------------------------------------------
Total.................................. 100 176,375 ........... .........
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ For most non-trawl gear the first season is allocated 60 percent of the ITAC and the second season is allocated 40 percent of the ITAC. For jig
gear, the first season and third seasons are each allocated 40 percent of the ITAC and the second season is allocated 20 percent of the ITAC. No
seasonal harvest constraints are imposed for the Pacific cod fishery by catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 m) LOA using hook-and-line or pot
gear. For trawl gear, the first season is allocated 60 percent of the ITAC and the second and third seasons are each allocated 20 percent of the ITAC.
The trawl catcher vessels' allocation is further allocated as 70 percent in the first season, 10 percent in the second season and 20 percent in the
third season. The trawl catcher/processors' allocation is allocated 50 percent in the first season, 30 percent in the second season and 20 percent in
the third season. Any unused portion of a seasonal Pacific cod allowance will be reapportioned to the next seasonal allowance.

Allocation of the Shortraker and Rougheye Rockfish TAC

Under Sec. 679.20(a)(9), the ITAC of shortraker rockfish and
rougheye rockfish specified for the Aleutian Islands subarea is
allocated 30 percent to vessels using non-trawl gear and 70 percent to
vessels using trawl gear. Based on a proposed 2004 ITAC of 706 mt, the
trawl allocation is 494 mt and the non-trawl allocation is 212 mt.

Sablefish Gear Allocation

Regulations at Sec. 679.20(a)(4)(iii) and (iv) require that
sablefish TACs for the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands subareas be
allocated between trawl and hook-and-line or pot gear. Gear allocations
of the TACs for the Bering Sea subarea are 50 percent for trawl gear
and 50 percent for hook-and-line or pot gear and for the Aleutian
Islands subarea are 25 percent for trawl gear and 75 percent for hook-
and-line or pot gear. Regulations at Sec. 679.20(b)(1)(iii)(B) require
that 20 percent of the hook-and-line and pot gear allocation of
sablefish be apportioned to the CDQ reserve. Additionally, regulations
at Sec. 679.20(b)(1)(iii)(A) require that 7.5 percent of the trawl
gear allocation of sablefish (one half of the reserve) be apportioned
to the CDQ reserve. Proposed 2004 gear allocations of the sablefish TAC
and CDQ reserve amounts are specified in Table 5.

Table 5.--Proposed 2004 Gear Shares and CDQ Reserve of BSAI Sablefish TACS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Percent of Share of ITAC (mt)
Subarea and gear TAC TAC (mt) \1\ CDQ reserve
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bering Sea:
Trawl \2\............................................... 50 1,329 1,130 100
Hook-and-line/pot gear \3\.............................. 50 1,329 N/A 266
--------------
Total............................................. 100 2,658 1,130 365
Aleutian Islands:
Trawl \2\............................................... 25 711 604 53
Hook-and-line/pot gear \3\.............................. 75 2,132 N/A 426
--------------
Total............................................. 100 2,842 604 480
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Except for the sablefish hook-and-line or pot gear allocation, 15 percent of TAC is apportioned to the
reserve. The ITAC is the remainder of the TAC after the subtraction of these reserves.
\2\ For the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to vessels using trawl gear, one half of the reserve (7.5
percent of the specified TAC) is reserved for the CDQ program.
\3\ For the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to vessels using hook-and-line or pot gear, 20 percent of the
allocated TAC is reserved for use by CDQ participants. Regulations in Sec. 679.20(b)(1) do not provide for
the establishment of an ITAC for sablefish allocated to hook-and-line or pot gear.

[[Page 67648]]

Allocation of Prohibited Species Catch Limits for Halibut, Crab,
Salmon, and Herring

Due to the lack of new information concerning PSC limits and
apportionments in October 2003, the Council recommended using the
halibut, crab, and herring 2003 PSC amounts for the proposed 2004
amounts. The Council will reconsider these amounts in December 2003,
based on recommendations by the Plan Team and the SSC. Regulations at
Sec. 679.21(e)(1)(vii) specify a scheduled reduction of chinook salmon
PSC limits until the final limit is reached in 2004. For 2004, the
proposed chinook salmon PSC limit for the pollock fishery is 29,000
fish. Regulations at Sec. 679.21(e)(1)(i) allocate 7.5 percent or
2,175 chinook salmon as the proposed PSQ for the CDQ program and the
remaining 26,825 chinook salmon to the non-CDQ fisheries.
PSC limits for halibut are set in regulations at Sec. 679.21(e).
For the BSAI trawl fisheries, the limit is 3,675 mt of Pacific halibut
mortality and for non-trawl fisheries, the limit is 900 mt of
mortality. PSC limits for crab and herring are specified annually based
on abundance and spawning biomass.
The red king crab mature female abundance is estimated from the
2002 survey data to be 18.6 million king crab and the effective
spawning biomass is estimated to be 37.7 million pounds (17,100 mt).
Based on the criteria set out at Sec. 679.21(e)(1)(ii), the proposed
2003 PSC limit of red king crab in Zone 1 for trawl gear is 97,000
animals as a result of the mature female abundance being above 8.4
million king crab, and the effective spawning biomass estimate being
greater than 14.5 (6,577 mt), but less than 55 million pounds (24,948
mt).
Regulations at Sec. 679.21(e)(3)(ii)(B) establish criteria under
which NMFS must specify an annual red king crab bycatch limit for the
Red King Crab Savings Subarea (RKCSS). The regulations limit the RKCSS
red king crab bycatch limit to up to 35 percent of the trawl bycatch
allowance specified for the rock sole/flathead sole/``other flatfish''
fishery category. The limit must be based on the need to optimize the
groundfish harvest relative to red king crab bycatch. The Council
recommended, and NMFS approves, a proposed red king crab bycatch limit
equal to 35 percent of the trawl bycatch allowance specified for the
rock sole/flathead sole/ ``other flatfish'' fishery category within the
RKCSS.
Based on 2002 survey data, the Chionoecetes bairdi crab abundance
is estimated to be 464.9 million animals. Given the criteria set out at
Sec. 679.21(e)(1)(iii), the proposed 2004 C. bairdi crab PSC limit for
trawl gear is 980,000 animals in Zone 1 and 2,970,000 animals in Zone 2
as a result of the C. bairdi crab abundance estimate of over 400
million animals.
Under Sec. 679.21(e)(1)(iv), the PSC limit for C. opilio crab is
based on total abundance as indicated by the NMFS annual bottom trawl
survey. The C. opilio crab PSC limit is set at 0.1133 percent of the
Bering Sea abundance index. Based on the 2002 survey estimate of 1.49
billion animals, the calculated limit is 1,169,000 animals. Because
this limit is less than 4.5 million, under Sec. 679.21(e)(1)(iv)(B),
the proposed 2004 C. opilio crab PSC limit is 4,350,000 million
animals.
Under Sec. 679.21(e)(1)(vi), the proposed PSC limit of Pacific
herring caught while conducting any trawl operation for groundfish in
the BSAI is 1 percent of the annual eastern Bering Sea herring biomass.
NMFS's best estimate of 2003 herring biomass is 152,574 mt. This amount
was derived using 2002 survey data and an age-structured biomass
projection model developed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game
(ADF&G). Therefore, the proposed herring PSC limit for 2004 is 1,526
mt.
Under Sec. 679.21(e)(1)(i), 7.5 percent of each PSC limit
specified for crab and halibut is reserved as a PSQ reserve for use by
the groundfish CDQ program. Regulations at Sec. 679.21(e)(3) require
the apportionment of each trawl PSC limit into PSC bycatch allowances
for seven specified fishery categories.
Regulations at Sec. 679.21(e)(4)(ii) authorize the apportionment
of the non-trawl halibut PSC limit among five fishery categories. The
proposed fishery bycatch allowances for the trawl and non-trawl
fisheries are listed in Table 6.
Regulations at Sec. 679.21(e)(4)(ii) authorize exemption of
specified non-trawl fisheries from the halibut PSC limit. As in past
years, NMFS after consultation with the Council, is proposing to exempt
pot gear, jig gear, and the sablefish IFQ hook-and-line gear fishery
categories from halibut bycatch restrictions because these fisheries
use selective gear types that take comparatively few halibut. In 2003,
total groundfish catch for the pot gear fishery in the BSAI was
approximately 17,929 mt with an associated halibut bycatch mortality of
about 3 mt. The 2003 groundfish jig gear fishery harvested about 156 mt
of groundfish. Most vessels in the jig gear fleet are less than 60 ft
(18.3 m) LOA and are exempt from observer coverage requirements. As a
result, observer data are not available on halibut bycatch in the jig
gear fishery. However, a negligible amount of halibut bycatch mortality
is assumed because of the selective nature of this gear type and the
likelihood that halibut caught with jig gear have a high survival rate
when released.
As in past years, the Council recommended that the sablefish IFQ
fishery be exempt from halibut bycatch restrictions because of the
halibut retention requirements of the sablefish and halibut IFQ program
(subpart D of 50 CFR part 679). The IFQ program requires legal-sized
halibut to be retained by vessels using hook-and-line gear if a halibut
IFQ permit holder is aboard and is holding unused halibut IFQ. This
provision results in reduced halibut discard in the sablefish fishery.
In 1995, about 36 mt of halibut discard mortality was estimated for the
sablefish IFQ fishery. A similar estimate for 1996 through 2003 has not
been calculated, but NMFS has no information indicating that it would
be significantly different.
Regulations at Sec. 679.21(e)(5) authorize NMFS, after
consultation with the Council, to establish seasonal apportionments of
PSC allowances. In October 2003, the Council proposed no seasonal
apportionments, except for the trawl bycatch allowance for halibut
bycatch specified for the rockfish trawl fishery. The intent of this
proposal was to reduce halibut bycatch during the first quarter when
halibut bycatch is the highest. NMFS anticipates that the Council will
recommend additional seasonal apportionments during its December 2003
meeting.

[[Page 67649]]

Table 6.--Proposed 2004 Prohibited Species Bycatch Allowances for the BSAI Trawl and Non-Trawl Fisheries
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prohibited species and zone
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Red king C. bairdi (animals)
Trawl fisheries Halibut Herring crab C. opilio -----------------------
mortality (mt) BSAI (animals) (animals)
(mt) BSAI Zone 1 \1\ COBLZ \2\ Zone 1 \1\ Zone 2 \1\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yellowfin sole.......................... 886 139 16,664 2,776,981 340,844 1,788,459
Rock sole/other flat/flathead sole \3\.. 779 20 59,782 969,130 365,320 596,154
Turbot/arrowtooth/sablefish \4\......... .......... 9 .......... 40,238 .......... ..........
Rockfish: July 4-December 31............ 69 7 .......... 40,237 .......... 10,988
Pacific cod............................. 1,434 20 13,079 124,736 183,112 324,176
Midwater trawl pollock.................. .......... 1,184 .......... .......... .......... ..........
Pollock/Atka mackerel/other \5\......... 232 146 200 72,428 17,224 27,473
Red King Crab Savings Subarea (non- .......... .......... 20,924 .......... .......... ..........
pelagic trawl).........................
-------------
Total Trawl PSC................... 3,400 1,526 89,725 4,023,750 906,500 2,747,250
=============
Non-Trawl Fisheries:
Pacific cod--Total.................. 775 .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........
Other non-trawl--Total.............. 58 .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........
Groundfish pot & jig................ exempt .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........
Sablefish hook-and-line............. exempt .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........
-------------
Total Non-Trawl............... 833 .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........
=============
PSQ Reserve \6\............... 342 .......... 7,275 326,250 73,500 222,750
-------------
Grand Total................... 4,575 1,526 97,000 4,350,000 980,000 2,970,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Refer to Sec. 679.2 for definitions of areas.
\2\ C. opilio Bycatch Limitation Zone. Boundaries are defined at 50 CFR part 679, Figure 13.
\3\ ``Other flatfish'' for PSC monitoring includes all flatfish species, except for Pacific halibut (a
prohibited species), greenland turbot, rock sole, yellowfin sole and arrowtooth flounder.
\4\ Greenland turbot, arrowtooth flounder, and sablefish fishery category.
\5\ Pollock other than pelagic trawl pollock, Atka mackerel, and ``other species'' fishery category.
\6\ With the exception of herring, 7.5 percent of each PSC limit is allocated to the CDQ program as PSQ reserve.
The PSQ reserve is not allocated by fishery, gear or season.

To monitor halibut bycatch mortality allowances and apportionments,
the Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), will
use observed halibut bycatch rates, assumed discard mortality rates
(DMR), and estimates of groundfish catch to project when a fishery's
halibut bycatch mortality allowance or seasonal apportionment is
reached. The assumed DMRs are based on the best information available,
including information contained in the annual SAFE report.
The Council recommended and NMFS proposes that the recommended
halibut DMRs developed by staff of the International Pacific Halibut
Commission (IPHC) for the 2003 BSAI groundfish fisheries be used for
monitoring halibut bycatch allowances established for the 2004
groundfish fisheries (Table 7). Results from analysis of halibut
release condition data for 2000 showed continued stability in halibut
DMRs for many fisheries. Plots of annual DMRs against the 10-year mean
indicated little change since 1990 for some fisheries, particularly the
major trawl fisheries. DMRs were more variable for the smaller
fisheries that typically take minor amounts of halibut bycatch. For
2003 for most groundfish fisheries, DMRs were used based on long-term
mean for a 3-year period before revisions were proposed. Annual DMRs
were used for the BSAI hook-and-line Pacific cod fishery and CDQ
fisheries. The IPHC will analyze observer data annually and recommend
changes to the DMRs where a fishery DMR shows large variation from the
mean. For 2003, the BSAI hook-and-line Pacific cod fishery DMR did not
change; but the CDQ fishery DMRs were adjusted. The justification for
these proposed DMRs is discussed in Appendix A of the final SAFE report
dated November 2002. The proposed DMRs listed in Table 7 are subject to
change pending the results of an updated analysis on halibut DMRs in
the groundfish fisheries that IPHC staff is scheduled to present to the
Council at its December 2003 meeting.

Table 7.--Proposed 2004 Assumed Pacific Halibut Discard Mortality Rates
for the BSAI Fisheries
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Preseason
assumed
Fishery mortality
(percent)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hook-and-line gear fisheries:
Greenland turbot........................................... 18
Other Species.............................................. 12
Pacific cod................................................ 12
Rockfish................................................... 25
Sablefish.................................................. 22
Trawl gear fisheries:
Atka mackerel.............................................. 75
Flathead sole.............................................. 67
Greenland turbot........................................... 70
Nonpelagic pollock......................................... 76
Pelagic pollock............................................ 84
Other flatfish............................................. 71
Other species.............................................. 67
Pacific cod................................................ 67
Rockfish................................................... 69
Rock sole.................................................. 76
Sablefish.................................................. 50
Yellowfin sole............................................. 81
Pot gear fisheries:
Other species.............................................. 8
Pacific cod................................................ 8

[[Page 67650]]

CDQ trawl fisheries:
Atka mackerel.............................................. 80
Flathead sole.............................................. 90
Nonpelagic pollock......................................... 90
Pelagic pollock............................................ 89
Rockfish................................................... 90
Yellowfin sole............................................. 83
CDQ hook-and-line fisheries:
Greenland turbot........................................... 4
Pacific cod................................................ 11
CDQ pot fisheries:
Pacific cod................................................ 2
Sablefish.................................................. 46
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bering Sea Subarea Inshore Pollock Allocations

Regulations at Sec. 679.4 set forth procedures for AFA inshore
catcher vessel pollock cooperatives to apply for and receive
cooperative fishing permits and inshore pollock allocations. For 2003,
NMFS received applications from seven inshore catcher vessel
cooperatives. Applications for 2004 must be received by the Regional
Administrator by December 1, 2003. Table 8 lists the proposed pollock
allocations to the seven inshore catcher vessel pollock cooperatives
based on 2003 cooperative allocations and the assumption that the
cooperatives' membership will remain unchanged in 2004. Allocations for
cooperatives and vessels not participating in cooperatives are not made
for the AI subarea because the AI subarea has been closed to directed
fishing for pollock. These allocations may be revised pending
adjustments to cooperatives' membership prior to 2004.

Table 8.--Proposed 2004 Bering Sea Subarea Inshore Cooperative
Allocations
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sum of
member
vessel's Percentage Annual co-
Cooperative name and member official of inshore op
vessels catch sector allocation
histories allocation (mt)
\1\ (mt)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Akutan Catcher Vessel 245,527 28.085 181,932
Association: ALDEBARAN, ARCTIC
EXPLORER, ARCTURUS, BLUE FOX,
CAPE KIWANDA, COLUMBIA,
DOMINATOR, EXODUS, FLYING CLOUD,
GOLDEN DAWN, GOLDEN PISCES,
HAZEL LORRAINE, INTREPID
EXPLORER, LESLIE LEE, LISA
MELINDA, MAJESTY, MARCY J,
MARGARET LYN, NORDIC EXPLORER,
NORTHERN PATRIOT, NORTHWEST
EXPLORER, PACIFIC RAM, PACIFIC
VIKING, PEGASUS, PEGGY JO,
PERSEVERANCE, PREDATOR, RAVEN,
ROYAL AMERICAN, SEEKER,
SOVEREIGNTY, TRAVELER, VIKING
EXPLORER........................
Arctic Enterprise Association: 36,807 4.210 27,273
BRISTOL EXPLORER, OCEAN
EXPLORER, PACIFIC EXPLORER......
Northern Victor Fleet 73,656 8.425 54,578
Cooperative: ANITA J, COLLIER
BROTHERS, COMMODORE, EXCALIBUR
II, GOLDRUSH, HALF MOON BAY,
MISS BERDIE, NORDIC FURY,
PACIFIC FURY, POSEIDON, ROYAL
ATLANTIC, SUNSET BAY, STORM
PETREL..........................
Peter Pan Fleet Cooperative: 18,693 2.138 13,851
AMBER DAWN, AMERICAN BEAUTY,
ELIZABETH F, MORNING STAR, OCEAN
LEADER, OCEANIC, PROVIDIAN,
TOPAZ, WALTER N.................
Unalaska Cooperative: ALASKA 106,737 12.209 79,091
ROSE, BERING ROSE, DESTINATION,
GREAT PACIFIC, MESSIAH, MORNING
STAR, MS AMY, PROGRESS, SEA
WOLF, VANGUARD, WESTERN DAWN....
UniSea Fleet Cooperative: ALSEA, 201,566 23.056 149,357
AMERICAN EAGLE, ARGOSY, AURIGA,
AURORA, DEFENDER, GUN-MAR,
NORDIC STAR, PACIFIC MONARCH,
SEADAWN, STARFISH, STARLITE.....
Westward Fleet Cooperative: A.J., 189,942 21.727 140,744
ALASKAN COMMAND, ALYESKA, ARCTIC
WIND, CAITLIN ANN, CHELSEA K,
DONA MARTITA, FIERCE ALLEGIANCE,
HICKORY WIND, OCEAN HOPE 3,
PACIFIC CHALLENGER, PACIFIC
KNIGHT, PACIFIC PRINCE,
STARWARD, VIKING, WESTWARD I....
Open access AFA vessels.......... 1,309 0.150 970
--------------
Total inshore allocation... 874,238 100 647,797
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ According to regulations at Sec. 679.62(e)(1), the individual
catch history for each vessel is equal to the vessel's best 2 of 3
years inshore pollock landings from 1995 through 1997 and includes
landings to catcher/processors for vessels that made 500 or more mt of
landings to catcher/processors from 1995 through 1997.

Under regulations at Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A), NMFS subdivides the
inshore allocation into allocations for cooperatives and vessels not
fishing in a cooperative. In addition, under Sec. 679.22(a)(7)(vii),
NMFS establishes harvest limits inside the Steller sea lion
conservation area (SCA) and provides a set-aside so that catcher
vessels less than or equal to 99 ft (30.2 m) LOA have the opportunity
to operate entirely within the SCA during the A season. Accordingly,
Table 9 lists the proposed apportionment of the Bering Sea subarea
inshore pollock allocation into allocations for vessels fishing in a
cooperative and for vessels not participating in a cooperative and
establishes a cooperative-sector SCA set-aside for AFA catcher vessels
less than or equal to 99 ft (30.2 m) LOA. The SCA set-aside for catcher
vessels less than or equal to 99 ft (30.2 m) LOA that are not
participating in a cooperative will be established inseason based on
actual participation levels and is not included in Table 9. These
proposed allocations may be revised pending final review and approval
of 2004 cooperative agreements.

[[Page 67651]]

Table 9.--Proposed 2004 Bering Sea Subarea Pollock Allocations to the Cooperative and Non-Cooperative Sectors of
the Inshore Pollock Fishery
[All amounts are in metric tons]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A season
A season TAC inside SCA \1\ B season TAC
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cooperative sector:
Vessels £ 99 ft................................... n/a 155,616 n/a
Vessels <= 99 ft............................................ n/a 25,495 n/a
-----------------
Total................................................. 258,731 181,111 388,096
Open access sector.............................................. 388 \2\ 272 582
-----------------
Total inshore............................................... 259,119 181,383 388,678
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The Steller sea lion conservation area established at Sec. 679.22(a)(7)(vii).
\2\ SCA limitations for vessels less than or equal to 99 ft LOA that are not participating in a cooperative will
be established on an inseason basis in accordance with Sec. 679.22(a)(7)(vii)(C)(2) which specifies that
``the Regional Administrator will prohibit directed fishing for pollock by vessels catching pollock for
processing by the inshore component greater than 99 ft (30.2 m) LOA before reaching the inshore SCA harvest
limit during the A season to accommodate fishing by vessels less than or equal to 99 ft (30.2 m) inside the
SCA for the duration of the inshore seasonal opening.''

Listed AFA Catcher/Processor Sideboard Limits

Under regulations at Sec. 679.64(a), the Regional Administrator
will restrict the ability of listed AFA catcher/processors to engage in
directed fishing for non-pollock groundfish species to protect
participants in other groundfish fisheries from adverse effects
resulting from the AFA and from fishery cooperatives in the directed
pollock fishery. The catcher/processor sideboard limits for BSAI
groundfish, other than Atka mackerel, Pacific cod and Pacific ocean
perch, will be based on the 1995 through 1997 retained catch of such
groundfish species by the 20 listed AFA catcher/processors listed in
paragraphs (e)(1) through (e)(20) of section 208 of the AFA and the
nine ineligible catcher/processors listed in section 209 of the AFA.
Pacific cod catcher/processor sideboard limits will be based on 1997
retained catch only, and Pacific ocean perch in the Aleutian Islands
subarea will be based on 1996 and 1997 retained catch only. The AFA
catcher/processor sideboard limit for Atka mackerel is zero percent of
the Bering Sea subarea and Eastern Aleutians District's annual TAC,
11.5 percent of the Central Aleutian District's annual TAC, and 20
percent of the Western Aleutian District's annual TAC. The proposed
2004 catcher/processor sideboard limits are set out in Table 10 below.
All non-pollock groundfish that is harvested by listed AFA catcher/
processors, whether as targeted catch or incidental catch, will be
deducted from the proposed sideboard limits in Table 10. However, non-
pollock groundfish that is delivered to listed catcher/processors by
catcher vessels will not be deducted from the proposed 2004 sideboard
limits for the listed catcher/processors.

Table 10.--Proposed 2004 Listed BSAI American Fisheries Act Catcher/Processor Groundfish Sideboard Limits
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1995-1997
--------------------------------------- Proposed
Ratio of 2004 ITAC Proposed
Target species/area Retained available 2004 C/P
Retained Available catch/ to trawl C/ sideboard
catch (mt) TAC (mt) Available Ps (mt) limit (mt)
TAC
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pacific cod trawl: BSAI........................ 12,424 51,450 0.241 45,105 10,870
Sablefish trawl:
BS......................................... 8 1,736 0.005 1,130 6
AI......................................... 0 1,135 0.000 603 0
Atka mackerel:
Western AI:
A season \1\........................... n/a n/a 0.200 8,496 1,699
HLA limit \2\..........................
B season............................... n/a n/a 0.200 8,496 1,699
HLA limit..............................
Central AI:
A season \1\........................... n/a n/a 0.115 12,201 1,403
HLA limit..............................
B season............................... n/a n/a 0.115 12,201 1,403
HLA limit..............................
Yellowfin sole: BSAI........................... 100,192 527,000 0.190 71,188 13,526
Rock sole: BSAI................................ 6,317 202,107 0.031 37,400 1,159
Greenland turbot:
BS......................................... 121 16,911 0.007 2,278 16
AI......................................... 23 6,839 0.003 1,122 3
Arrowtooth flounder: BSAI...................... 76 36,873 0.002 10,200 20
Flathead sole: BSAI............................ 1,925 87,975 0.022 17,000 374
Alaska plaice: BSAI............................ 3,243 ........... 0.035 9,250 324
Other flatfish: BSAI........................... 3,243 92,428 0.035 2,775 97

[[Page 67652]]

Pacific ocean perch:
BS......................................... 12 5,760 0.002 1,199 2
Western AI................................. 54 12,440 0.004 4,907 20
Central AI................................. 3 6,195 0.000 2,802 0
Eastern AI................................. 125 6,265 0.020 2,936 59
Northern rockfish:
BS......................................... 8 ........... 0.008 112 1
AI......................................... 83 13,254 0.006 5,438 33
Shortraker/rougheye:
BS......................................... 8 ........... 0.008 126 1
AI......................................... 42 2,827 0.015 538 8
Other rockfish:
BS......................................... 18 1,026 0.018 888 16
AI......................................... 22 1,924 0.011 539 6
Squid: BSAI.................................... 73 3,670 0.020 1,675 34
Other species: BSAI............................ 553 65,925 0.008 29,886 239
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The seasonal apportionment of Atka mackerel in the open access fishery is 50 percent in the A season and 50
percent in the B season. Listed AFA catcher/processors are limited to harvesting no more than zero in the
Eastern Aleutian District and Bering Sea subarea, 20 percent of the available TAC in the Western Aleutian
District, and 11.5 percent of the available TAC in the Central Aleutian District.
\2\ Harvest Limit Area (HLA) limit refers to the amount of each seasonal allowance that is available for fishing
inside the HLA (see Sec. 679.2). In 2004, 60 percent of each seasonal allowance is available for fishing
inside the HLA in the Western and Central Aleutian Districts.

Regulations at Sec. 679.64(a) establish a formula for PSC
sideboard limits for listed AFA catcher/processors. These amounts are
equivalent to the percentage of PSC limits harvested in the non-pollock
groundfish fisheries by the AFA catcher/processors listed in subsection
208(e) and section 209 of the AFA from 1995 through 1997. PSC amounts
harvested by these catcher/processors in BSAI non-pollock groundfish
fisheries from 1995 through 1997 are shown in Table 10. These data were
used to calculate the PSC catch ratios for pollock catcher/processors
shown in Table 10. The 2004 PSC limits available to trawl catcher/
processors are multiplied by the ratios to determine the PSC sideboard
limits for listed AFA catcher/processors in the 2004 non-pollock
groundfish fisheries.
PSC that is caught by listed AFA catcher/processors participating
in any non-pollock groundfish fishery listed in Table 11 would accrue
against the proposed 2004 PSC limits for the listed catcher/processors.
Regulations at Sec. 679.21(e)(3)(v) provide NMFS with the authority to
close directed fishing for non-pollock groundfish for listed AFA
catcher/processors once a proposed 2004 PSC limitation listed in Table
11 is reached.
Crab or halibut PSC that is caught by listed AFA catcher/processors
while fishing for pollock will accrue against the bycatch allowances
annually specified for either the midwater pollock or the pollock/Atka
mackerel/other species fishery categories under regulations at Sec.
679.21(e).

Table 11.--Proposed 2004 BSAI American Fisheries Act Listed Catcher/Processor Prohibited Species Sideboard
Limits\1\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1995-1997
------------------------------------------------ Proposed 2004
PSC species Ratio of PSC PSC available Proposed 2004
PSC catch Total PSC catch/total to trawl C/P limit
PSC vessels
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Halibut mortality............... 955 11,325 0.084 3,400 286
Red king crab................... 3,098 473,750 0.007 89,725 628
C. opilio....................... 2,323,731 15,139,178 0.153 4,023,750 615,634
C. bairdi:
Zone 1...................... 385,978 2,750,000 0.140 906,500 126,910
Zone 2...................... 406,860 8,100,000 0.050 2,747,250 137,363
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Halibut amounts are in mt of halibut mortality. Crab amounts are in numbers of animals.

AFA Catcher Vessel Sideboard Limits

Regulations at Sec. 679.64(b) establish formulas for setting AFA
catcher vessel groundfish and PSC sideboard limits for the BSAI. The
catcher vessel sideboard limits for BSAI groundfish will be based on
the 1995 through 1997 retained catch of such groundfish species by all
AFA catcher vessels, except for Pacific cod which will be based on 1997
retained catch by non-exempt AFA catcher vessels only. The proposed
2004 AFA catcher vessel sideboard limits are shown in Tables 12 and 13.
All harvests of groundfish sideboard species made by non-exempt AFA
catcher vessels, whether as targeted catch or incidental catch, will be

[[Page 67653]]

deducted from the proposed sideboard limits listed in Table 12.

Table 12.--Proposed 2004 BSAI American Fisheries Act Catcher Vessel
Sideboard Limits
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ratio of Proposed
1995-1997 Proposed 2004
Species and fishery by area/ AFA CV 2004 catcher
season/processor/gear catch to initial TAC vessel
1995-1997 (mt) sideboard
TAC limits (mt)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pacific cod:
BSAI:
Jig gear................. 0.0000 3,528 0
Hook-and-line CV: ........... ........... 0
Jan 1-Jun 10......... 0.0006 161 0
Jun 10-Dec 31........ 0.0006 107 0
Pot gear: ........... ........... 0
Jan 1--Jun 10........ 0.0006 9,822 6
Sept 1-Dec 31........ 0.0006 6,548 4
CV <60 feet LOA using hook- 0.0006 1,252 1
and-line or pot gear........
Trawl gear catcher vessel: ........... ........... 0
Jan 20-Apr 1............. 0.8609 29,014 24,978
Apr 1-Jun 10............. 0.8609 4,145 3,193
Jun 10-Nov 1............. 0.8609 8,290 6,386
Sablefish:
BS trawl gear................ 0.0906 1,131 102
AI trawl gear................ 0.0645 603 39
Atka mackerel:
Eastern AI/BS: ........... ........... 0
Jig gear................. 0.0031 89 0
Other gear: ........... ........... 0
Jan 1-Apr 15......... 0.0032 4,381 14
Sept 1-Nov 1......... 0.0032 4,381 14
Central AI: ........... ........... 0
Jan-Apr 15............... 0.0001 12,201 1
HLA limit............ 0.0001 7,321 1
Sept 1-Nov 1............. 0.0001 12,201 1
HLA limit............ 0.0001 7,321 1
Western AI: ........... ........... 0
Jan-Apr 15............... 0 8,496 0
HLA limit............ 0.0000 5,097 0
Sept 1-Nov 1............. 0 8,496 0
HLA limit............ 0 5,097 0
Yellowfin sole: BSAI............. 0.0647 71,188 4,606
Rock sole: BSAI.................. 0.0341 37,400 1,275
Greenland Turbot:
BS........................... 0.0645 2,278 147
AI........................... 0.0205 1,122 23
Arrowtooth flounder: BSAI........ 0.0690 10,200 704
Alaska plaice: BSAI.............. 0.0441 8,500 375
Other flatfish: BSAI............. 0.0441 2,550 112
Pacific ocean perch:
BS........................... 0.1000 1,199 120
Eastern AI................... 0.0077 2,936 23
Central AI................... 0.0025 2,802 7
Western AI................... 0.0000 4,907 0
Northern rockfish:
BS........................... 0.0280 103 3
AI........................... 0.0089 4,997 44
Shortraker/Rougheye:
BS........................... 0.0048 116 1
AI........................... 0.0035 706 2
Other rockfish:
BS........................... 0.0048 816 4
AI........................... 0.0095 539 5
Squid: BSAI...................... 0.3827 1,675 641
Other species: BSAI.............. 0.0541 27,463 1,486
Flathead Sole: BS trawl gear..... 0.0505 17,000 859
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Regulations at Sec. 679.64(b) establish a formula for PSC
sideboard limits for AFA catcher vessels. The AFA catcher vessel PSC
bycatch limits will be a portion of the PSC limit equal to the ratio of
aggregate retained groundfish catch by AFA catcher vessels in each PSC
target category from 1995 through 1997 relative to the retained catch
of all

[[Page 67654]]

vessels in that fishery from 1995 through 1997. These proposed PSC
sideboard limits are listed in Table 13.
Halibut and crab PSC that is caught by AFA catcher vessels
participating in any non-pollock groundfish fishery listed in Table 13
will accrue against the proposed 2004 PSC limits for the AFA catcher
vessels. Regulations at Sec. 679.21(e)(3)(v) provide authority to
close directed fishing for non-pollock groundfish for AFA catcher
vessels once a proposed 2004 PSC limit listed in Table 13 is reached.
PSC that is caught by AFA catcher vessels while fishing for pollock in
the BSAI will accrue against either the midwater pollock or the
pollock/Atka mackerel/other species fishery categories.

Table 13.--Proposed 2004 American Fisheries Act Catcher Vessel Prohibited Species Catch Sideboard Limits for the
BSAI \1\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ratio of 1995- Proposed 2004
1997 AFA CV AFA catcher
PSC species and target fishery category \2\ retained catch Proposed 2004 vessel PSC
to total PSC limit sideboard
retained catch limit
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Halibut:
Pacific cod trawl........................................... 0.6183 1,434 887
Pacific cod hook-and-line or pot............................ 0.0022 775 2
Yellowfin sole.............................................. 0.1144 886 101
Rock sole/flat. sole/other flatfish \5\..................... 0.2841 779 221
Turbot/Arrowtooth/Sablefish................................. 0.2327 0 ..............
Rockfish.................................................... 0.0245 69 2
Pollock/Atka mackerel/Other sp.............................. 0.0227 232 5
Red King Crab, Zone 1 \4\:
Pacific cod................................................. 0.6183 13,079 8,087
Yellowfin sole.............................................. 0.1144 16,664 1,906
Rock sole/flat. sole/other flatfish \5\..................... 0.2841 59,782 16,984
Pollock/Atka mackerel/Other sp.............................. 0.0227 200 5
C. opilio, COBLZ \3\:
Pacific cod................................................. 0.6183 124,736 77,124
Yellowfin sole.............................................. 0.1144 2,776,981 317,687
Rock sole/flat. sole/other flatfish \5\..................... 0.2841 969,130 275,330
Pollock/Atka mackerel/Other sp.............................. 0.0227 72,428 1,644
Rockfish.................................................... 0.0245 40,237 986
Turbot/Arrowtooth/Sablefish................................. 0.2327 40,238 9,363
C. bairdi, Zone \1\:
Pacific cod................................................. 0.6183 183,112 113,218
Yellowfin sole.............................................. 0.1144 340,844 38,993
Rock sole/flat. sole/other flatfish \5\..................... 0.2841 365,320 103,787
Pollock/Atka mackerel/Other sp.............................. 0.0227 17,224 391
C. bairdi, Zone \2\:
Pacific cod................................................. 0.6183 324,176 200,438
Yellowfin sole.............................................. 0.1144 1,788,459 204,600
Rock sole/flat. sole/other flatfish \5\..................... 0.2841 596,154 169,367
Pollock/Atka mackerel/Other sp.............................. 0.0227 27,473 624
Rockfish.................................................... 0.0245 10,988 269
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Halibut amounts are in mt of halibut mortality. Crab amounts are in numbers of animals.
\2\ Target fishery categories are defined in regulation at Sec. 679.21(e)(3)(iv).
\3\ C. opilio Bycatch Limitation Zone. Boundaries are defined at Figure 13 of 50 CFR part 679.
\4\ In October 2003, the Council recommended that red king crab bycatch for trawl fisheries within the RKCSS be
limited to 35 percent of the total allocation to the rock sole/flathead sole/``other flatfish'' fishery
category (see Sec. 679.21(e)(3)(ii)(B)).
\5\ ``Other flatfish'' for PSC monitoring includes all flatfish species, except for Pacific halibut (a
prohibited species), Greenland turbot, rock sole, yellowfin sole, arrowtooth flounder.

Classification

This action is authorized under 50 CFR 679.20 and is exempt from
review under Executive Order 12866.
NMFS prepared an IRFA for this action in accordance with the
provisions of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) of 1980, as amended
by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (5
U.S.C. 603(b)). A copy of this analysis is available from the Council
(see ADDRESSES). This IRFA evaluates the effects of the proposed action
on regulated small entities. The reasons for the action, a statement of
the objectives of the action, and the legal basis for the proposed
rule, are discussed earlier in the preamble.
The small entities affected by this action are those that
commercially harvest groundfish under the BSAI FMP. Data in the IRFA
indicates that about 220 catcher vessels, and about 40 catcher-
processors, and six CDQ groups may be ``small entities'' under the
terms of the RFA.
Using the sectoral first wholesale gross revenue changes as an
index, the preferred alternative seems to have adverse impacts in the
sablefish sectors in the BSAI. There do not appear to be other adverse
impacts associated with the preferred alternative. The model suggests
that there will be revenue reductions for rockfish, Atka mackerel, and
other species. However, the projected revenue reductions for these
species appear to be relatively small percentages of the prior year
(2003) gross revenue estimates. Given the large confidence intervals
believed to be associated with these estimates, these are thought to be
minor impacts.
Harvest records indicate that in 2001, 87 vessels harvested
sablefish in the BSAI in excess of the minimum harvest threshold
adopted to select vessels for the analysis. Of these, 69 were small

[[Page 67655]]

entities according to the $3.5 million in gross revenues criterion used
by the SBA for catcher vessels. These small vessels harvested about
1,449 mt of sablefish in all their sablefish fisheries (some of this
tonnage may have come from operations in the GOA). Another 71 vessels
harvested amounts of sablefish below the minimum harvest threshold;
these vessels only harvested a total of about 12 mt of sablefish. The
69 small vessels above the threshold averaged about $1.1 million in all
their fisheries (groundfish, crab, scallops, salmon and herring) in
Alaska, and about $229,000 from all their sablefish in Alaska. If the
small entity revenue reduction is proportionate to the overall first
wholesale ``index'' reduction in the area, and if the small entities
catch all of their sablefish in the BSAI, the small entity revenue
reduction would be about $19,000. This would be about 8.3 percent of
their sablefish revenues, and about 1.7 percent of their overall
revenues.
The CDQ program provides a mechanism to allow local communities to
benefit from the BSAI fisheries. Sixty-five regional communities have
banded together into six Community Development Quota (CDQ) groups.
Regulations require the allocation of proportions of the annual species
specifications to the CDQ groups. The CDQ groups may fish the
allocations themselves, enter into joint ventures to fish them, or
lease them out to fishing firms. These allocations generate large
revenues for the CDQ groups. In 2001, the CDQ groups as a whole earned
about $43 million in royalties from the program; in 2002, they earned
about $46 million. Because the CDQ groups are non-profit organizations,
they are treated as small entities for RFA purposes.
The sablefish first wholesale gross revenues from CDQ program
allocations will decline by about 8% under the preferred alternative.
This comparatively large percentage decline is associated with a
relatively small decline in first wholesale value of about $137,000.
This decline in first wholesale value would be associated with a
smaller decline in CDQ program royalties. Even if royalties were equal
to first wholesale revenues, which they are not, this decline would be
a small fraction of a percent of total CDQ program royalties.
The preferred alternative was compared to the four other
alternatives evaluated during the specifications process. These
alternatives are defined by TACs set so as to generate different
harvest rates (F values). Alternative 1 sets a TAC to generate the
harvest rate associated with the maximum ABC for each species,
Alternative 2 is the preferred alternative, Alternative 3 sets TACs to
produce fishing rates that are half those of Alternative 1, Alternative
4 sets TACs to generate fishing rates equal to the most recent five
year average rates, and Alternative 5 sets TACs equal to zero. Only
Alternative 1 had a smaller adverse impact on small entities than the
preferred alternative. However Alternative 1 would have increased
sablefish harvests and would have failed to meet the objective of
protecting the long run health of the sablefish stocks. Also,
Alternative 1 would have authorized groundfish harvests in excess of
the 2 million optimal yield cap for the BSAI.
The action does not impose new recordkeeping or reporting
requirements on small entities. The analysis did not reveal any Federal
rules that duplicate, overlap or conflict with the proposed action.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq. 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., and
3631 et seq.

Dated: November 26, 2003.
Rebecca Lent,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. 03-30134 Filed 12-2-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P

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